Former Minister's Lead Grows in Afghan Election

Abdullah Abdullah Has 44% of Votes Counted So Far

By

Nathan Hodge and

Habib Khan Totakhil

Updated April 20, 2014 4:47 p.m. ET

KABUL—Afghanistan's former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah had a growing lead in the country's presidential race, but was still short of an absolute majority needed to avoid a runoff, according to the latest results released by election authorities.

The count, now based on around half the ballots cast in the April 5 election, gave Mr. Abdullah 44% of the total, Yusuf Nuristani, the chairman of Afghanistan's Independent Election...